Big Challenger has all the bells and whistles

The Challenger RoGator 645B falls in the middle of the challenger range of self-propelled sprayers between the RoGator 635B and the RoGator 655B.

All the machines are big sprayers and not all that common on this island. The 645 which I went to look at was a demonstrator unit from WBD machinery in north Dublin. Unfortunately the day I went to see this machine was not a spraying day so only a static viewing was possible.

This machine came with a 30m all-aluminium boom. Boom sizes from 24m up to 36m are available. Aluminium boom construction makes the boom lighter than standard steel construction. The piping on the boom is fixed where possible in order to reduce pressure losses and reduce the risk of flexible pipes being damaged.

Tank sizes of 3,800 and 5,000 litres are available on the 645. This machine has the smaller of the two tanks on board. The pump supplying the spray from the tank to the booms is an 800l/min centrifugal pump.

Control of the sprayer is done using Challenger’s own ISOBUS-compliant C3000 terminal developed by Topcon. From this terminal, all the functions of the sprayer can be adjusted from the rate of spraying to the section control. There are 10 different boom sections on this sprayer.

This machine had been specified with two screens. One screen is the standard specification. Having the two screens means that the operator can have one screen to monitor the sprayer output and the other to monitor the GPS system. Full RTK-level GPS was fitted and functioning on this machine. This is linked to auto-steer, which means that accuracy down to 50mm is available.

The height of the boom can also be set from this display and once the height is set, numerous military-grade proximity sensors constantly monitor the height above the crop.

In the yard, using my hand, the responsiveness of the boom was very impressive with near instant but smooth adjustment to changes in target height.

Filling the sprayer is carried out using the RoGator’s easy-access filling station, with its high-capacity (60-litre) chemical induction unit. The station is controlled using a display and buttons. From this display the amount of water required can be set and turning on and off of the induction hopper can be controlled with the touch of a button.

The chassis of the 645 is a single spine down the middle of the machine, which gives it great stability and a lower centre of gravity than most of its competitors. Each of the wheel assemblies is mounted independently on to this central spine using a wishbone system similar to a car.

The four corners are all completely independent of each other. This gives both comfort and stability for the machine and the operator. On the move, track width changes from 1.80m to 2.25m are possible to match to the row width of differing crops. Height adjustment is also available from 75cm to 120cm using Challenger’s OptiRide control system.

The big RoGator is powered by a 7.4-litre Sisu Tier 3b engine producing 224hp (164kW) at 1,950rpm. This gives plenty of power for any possible inclines or sticky situations you may get into. This power is sent to the wheels via a CVT transmission which allows seamless speed changes from zero to 40km/h with the push of a joystick.

The Challenger RoGator 645B is a serious piece of spraying equipment, loaded with all the technology to help it cover ground in the most efficient and accurate way but this all comes with a serious price tag to match.